Feds fight gangs by strengthening families

After 10 years of teaching kids about the dangers of gangs, the Gang Resistance Education And Training program is going after their parents.

The family has become a major focus for G.R.E.A.T., a federally-funded, school-based youth gang and violence prevention program instructed by law enforcement officers across the country.

The organization's spin-off program -- G.R.E.A.T. Families -- focuses on developing the family structure.

"When kids join gangs, they join for family. They join for love," said Deputy U.S. Marshal Miranda Holloway. "But if they get that support at home they don't have to turn to the streets."

Holloway was appointed to teach G.R.E.A.T. Families full-time by Pete Elliott, U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Ohio. "Violence is not just a law enforcement problem; it's a community problem," Elliott said. "It takes a whole community working together to address these issues."

The kick-off of G.R.E.A.T.'s three-day Midwest regional conference was Wednesday in downtown Cleveland. The family initiative will be a focal point of the conference, said Regional Administrator Raj Ramnarace of the La Crosse Police Department in Wisconsin.

"From a law enforcement standpoint, we know if families are doing well we see decreases in domestic violence, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency and gang involvement," he said.

Family members participate in the program through churches that agree to offer it. Classes meet one night a week for six weeks and cover issues involving communication and parenting.

Holloway said representatives from Kent State University conduct surveys at the beginning and end of each six-week session to map the success of the program.

"The surveys show families see a significant positive change in their homes," she said. "It's very rewarding to have parents come to me and thank me."

Leah, an interesting tie-in to this story might be the Supreme Court of the U.S.'s decision two days ago that precludes taxpayers from being able to sue the goverment in the situation that targeted the White House's office of faith-based and community initiatives. Specifically, does this program exist partly as a result of that office? Might have been nice as a way to report on the SCOTUS decision and how the $2 billion it spends impacts folks. I"m not a big fan of the faith-based office, at all. But I like reading that this program has some built-in surveying going on, to help learn how effective it is. To know if the federal funds you mention are faith-based funds would deepen the newsworthiness of the article, in my opinion. I imagine others might think that that would muddy it up. But when I first saw the headline? My first thought was, hmmm - is this a faith-based program?